Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created a classic trio of characters with his Sherlock stories: hero, sidekick, and villain. For example: Sherlock, Dr. Watson, and Moriarty.
I took a look at other stories to see how closely they fit Conan Doyle’s setup. These aren’t in any particular order and this certainly isn’t an exhaustive list — just off the top of my head.
| Story | Hero | Sidekick | Villain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherlock | Sherlock | Dr. John Watson | Moriarty |
| Harry Potter | Harry | Ron, Hermione | Voldemort |
| Merlin (v1) | Merlin | Arthur | Morgana |
| Merlin (v2) | Arthur | Merlin | Mordred |
| Fringe | Peter/Olivia | Walter, Astrid | Walternate |
| Superman | Superman | Jimmy Olsen | Lex Luthor |
| Batman | Batman | Robin | The Joker |
| Doctor Who | The Doctor | [companion] | The Master |
| Teen Wolf | Scott McCall | [his pack] | [multiple] |
| Haven | Audrey | Nathan, Duke | the Troubles |
| Chuck | Chuck, Sarah | Casey | [multiple] |
| Back to the Future | Marty | Doc Brown | Biff |
| Dresden Files | Harry | Murphy, [multiple] | [multiple] |
| Roswell | Max | [his friends] | FBI |
| Matilda | Matilda | (none) | her parents, Trunchbull |
| The Sandlot | Benny | Smalls | the Beast |
| Star Wars (original triology) | Luke | Han, Leia | Darth Vader |